The Darkest Night
by Beyond the Baricade
Summary: I didn't ask for this life. No one would. To be a pawn of forces beyond control. But after a while, you find that you can't escape it. The only way out is the way through. Someday, though, I vow to live a normal life. But for now, all I can do is keep on.
1. Into the Void

In the southern reaches of the Sinnoh region, a storm drenches Pastoria city and the surrounding wetlands. In the midst of this storm, on the fourth floor of a five story hotel building, lies a Lucario, sitting on his bed, meditating over the events that had passed over the last month. Suddenly, he got up, and walked over to the window. He looked out, scanning the area in the front of the hotel for a minute for any signs of pursuers. Although he was grateful that he had finally found a place to sleep that wasn't outdoors, that didn't mean he was going to let his guard down.

After he was content that there didn't appear to be a threat outside, his gaze turned skyward to the waning crescent moon. It shone brightly in the sky, more so than any of the surrounding stars. It soothed him to see it, reminding him that whatever he did, wherever he was, at the end of the day it will always be there, watching over him. It made him feel small, yet secure.

He was about to walk back to his bed and hit the hay, when a small glimmer of light coming from the ground caught his eye. He looked back to the area in front of the hotel. A small group of five Pokemon were walking up to the building: a Combusken, a Ferret, an Electabuzz, and, leading the other three, a Krookodile. Nothing really seemed suspicious about them. They obviously weren't a family, that much was clear. Maybe just a group of friends traveling or something? But the light he saw earlier still puzzled him.

He almost missed it. Right as the Krookodile was walking in, he could make out a small golden shield across its chest. _Crap! It's the cops. _He looked around. He knew their presence here meant he had to run. To where? It didn't matter, as long as it was away from here, for if they caught him, he'd be locked up for life.

_Okay. Think this through. They first have to check with the guy at the front desk. That'll take about a minute at most. Then they'll take the elevator up to my room. They won't be in a hurry, seeing as I didn't give my real name. But they'll still probably check. So I have about two minutes to get out of here. There's an emergency exit at the bottom of each stairwell. If I'm lucky, they'll have used the elevator, and I'll be out of here without them ever seeing me. If I'm not lucky…_He stopped thinking. Not only could he not waste any more time thinking, but it would be counterproductive to think of the worst case. He took a quick moment to take his wallet, which contained the money he had left, off his nightstand, and bolted out the door.

In the hall, he instinctively went left, not wasting any time, and sprinted toward the staircase. He had been in the middle of the hallway, so it took little time to get there. But when every second counts, that's all you have time for. He barged into the staircase door, knocking it open. The wolf rushed down the stairs, and almost made it to the second floor, when his ear twitched. Not taking any chances, he stopped his movements, and quickly opened his mind, searching for any nearby auras. To the wolf's dismay, he found two auras that seemed to be moving up the stairs. He uttered a quick curse, and then ran up the stairs and pulled on the third story door.

It didn't budge. He quickly tried pulling again, but it appeared to be locked. _Today is not my lucky day. _The Lucario ran up to the fourth floor, and looked out the small window on the door overlooking the hall. The Electabuzz and Furret were exiting the opposite stairwell and walking towards his room. _Not even worth trying to go out that way._ He headed up to the fifth floor. He gave it a pull, but, again, to no avail.

_Crap, they must have locked down the place. Okay, think. _He took a quick deep breath, and then exhaled. _I can't go down. There are Pokemon looking for me. I can't go forward. There's a huge-ass metal door in my way. _He looked behind him, and saw that the stairwell continued. _Up._

After a quick flight of steps, he saw the door which opened up to the roof. Knowing it was the only way he could go, he took no haste in opening it. It gave an audible creek as it opened and the wolf walked out onto the wet rooftop. As the rain drenched his fur, he looked around. It was dark enough that he couldn't make out much past his immediate surroundings, but most of the rooftop was clear enough that he could make it out. He looked forward, toward the back side of the hotel for any way he could get down. Nothing. He then checked to his sides. Neither direction had anyway down. In desperation, he looked behind himself.

_IDIOT!_ He saw the fire escape, hanging down the front side of the building, and cursed himself for not using it directly from his room. Hurriedly, he rushed toward it, but as he started running, the door to the roof opened revealing a Krookodile and a Combusken. As they exited, they quickly looked around and saw him before he could reach the escape.

"See Mick," said the chicken in a female voice, "I told you I heard something up here!"

"Yeah, yeah." The reptile, whose attention never left the convict, started walking forward. At this point, Lucario had stopped running. In a test of speed, he knew the Krookodile could easily best him. "That's him. Hands behind your head. You're coming with us."

The aura Pokemon, ignoring the policeman's order, looked him back in the eye. "We can work this out. Just let me go, and you will never have to deal with me again. I didn't do anything wrong. It's all just a huge misunderstanding!"

"You honestly expect us to believe that you are innocent? Ha! We have indisputable evidence that you killed her." His partner nodded in agreement. "How can you possibly deny that?"

He thought for a few seconds. He wasn't denying it, but confessing would certainly screw him over. He decided that the best road for now was to remain silent; wait for his pursuers to make the next move. The Combusken spoke again. "Come on, hands behind your head already! We don't have all night."

_This is going to end with a fight, why not start it now…_ "Make me." He held out a paw, and motioned them to come at him.

The two cops looked disappointedly at each other, until Mick stated what they were both clearly thinking. "Ugh, really, another fighter? Come on Colleen, let's just get this over with." He sighed, and then his partner shot out a flamethrower at the Lucario, who, not expecting a special attack, took most of the heat and fell on a knee. _That one will be trouble. She needs to go first._ When the stream of fire subsided, he charged her and shot a punch at her head. She ducked, but he had prepared for this, and swept his leg in an arc behind her feet, tripping her. As she lied on the ground, her attacker raised a foot, preparing to stomp on her belly, but he was caught off guard from behind. The Krookodile pushed him out of her way, sending him into the wall of the stairwell exit. He then extended a hand to his fallen partner.

"You good?"

Colleen shook her head. "Think I sprained an ankle when he tripped me. Think you can take him?" 

He gave her a confident grin as he retracted his arm. "Leave it to me. This shouldn't take long."

The wolf had recovered from the impact on the wall, and was running towards the crocodile. _Remember. Injure. Don't kill. You can't afford to be any more wanted._ He tried the same move he tried on the fallen Combusken, aiming a jab at the head, but his opponent caught his hand. He struggled to pull it free, but Mick had an iron grip, and it wouldn't budge. The Krookodile took advantage of this opportunity, and punched the wolf in his open stomach.

Instinct took over as Lucario ducked slightly, aligning the spot his foe would hit and the spike on his chest. The punch landed and both participants recoiled in pain, Mick not quite at the same level as the Lucario. They both took little time to recover, and resumed their fight. The aura pokemon, for a third time, shot a punch towards his rival's face, making the reptile laugh. "Hah. How many times do you have to try that before you realize it won't work," Mick said while twisting the fist he held in his hand, making a loud cracking noise as Lucario winced in pain.

Lucario didn't verbally respond. Instead, he kicked his leg at the Krookodile's knee cap, hyperextending the joint. The surprised reptile loosened his grip on Lucario's fist, allowing him to pull it back. Not allowing the stunned officer to have any time to recover, he lifted his leg and roundhouse kicked him in the face, sending him to the ground, barely conscious.

He had done it. Even when they found him, he still escaped a free man. Now, all that was left was to disappear into the wind, and continue on his quest. He turned to the fire escape, for the other two cops that had walked in would eventually come looking, and walked to it without regard for his two fallen foes.

As he got to the stairs of the fire escape, he realized his mistake. One of his previous enemies wasn't finished. The Combusken had ambled over to the center of the roof. She opened her beak, and took the Lucario by surprise by unleashing an extraordinarily powerful blast of fire at him. He shielded himself the best he could from it, but not only did the heat take its toll on him, but it also pushed him fiercely against the railing. Not having enough time to react, he was pushed over the edge.

_Damn. So close. This can't be it. I still have to get my revenge on _him_. I can't give up now, even though I can't do anything now. Everything I've done, everything I was meant to do…This can't be it. This can't be it._


	2. Traveling Companions

The first thing that surprised him as he woke was just that. He was awake, and thusly, he was alive. He felt tired as hell, and his whole body ached, but that didn't matter. He was alive. A swift feeling of 'I shouldn't be alive' swept over him, but he was too tired to care even about that, not currently being able to remember why he felt this way. He was alive, and he was awake. Never before had he been so grateful to see the light of day as he rolled over onto his back and looked up at the sky.

_What did I do last night?_ He subconsciously asked himself this, as the memories flooded his mind, walking him through the evening, from the moon, to the staircase, to the cops on the roof, then the battle and finally…

He jolted up to his hind paws as the thought of falling off the building hit him. The jackal blinked his eyes until he was fully awake, determined to find out where he was. _Maybe I'm just on the grass outside the hotel. Or perhaps a Pokemon Center? Maybe somehow I got dragged off into the wild…_He stood up, and could tell that he wasn't standing on grass without even looking down. The ground was too soft. Nor could he be inside, for as he gazed up, he could make out the sun, shining gallantly in the cloudless sky.

The Lucario looked down, and with a gasp of horror realized where he was. The sea of clouds that usually inhabited the sky was now holding him up. There was no doubt now that the small fear he had as he woke up was true. _I'm dead. I'm really dead._ He stood there for a while, not moving except for occasionally checking out his body, as he slowly started to accept this nightmare as reality.

_Huh. Never thought it would be like this. I always imagined a gate or something. And a line of dead 'mons waiting to get in. This is just too… empty. There's gotta be more Pokemon up here._ But all he saw were clouds on all sides. Perhaps he was alone. It seemed no one else with him in here, and, just to confirm this theory, he opened his mind and searched for other auras. As he expected, he found none.

Still, something didn't quite seem right. If he really was dead, and this really was some sort of afterlife, then shouldn't there be some sort of god? He had heard stories of a large white dog-like creature named Arceus when he was young, who was said to have been the first being to ever have existed, and shaped the world and all of its inhabitants. But he didn't see anything of the sort.

"Hello?" He shouted out, hoping there would be someone or something to hear him. After the words left his mouth, a curious thought entered his mind: _What will I say if someone does answer my call? Are there any answers I need? Maybe where I am, but I'm confident I already know that. What do I do here? Maybe… Is there anything I need or need done? Maybe some food for later, but I don't think dead guys need food. Hmm. The only thing that I need is… life.  
><em>

As he had finished that train of thought, out of nowhere, as though there were an invisible portal, walked a large canine with a golden radial extension out of its torso. The being walked with a majestic stride, its white fur seemingly blowing in a nonexistent wind. The Lucario's gaze was drawn to the being's green eyes, and without a doubt, he was sure that this was the legendary Arceus, even though he had only heard of it few times. As they looked at each other, the aura Pokemon seemed humbled, as the massive being stared down at him. Finally, it spoke.

"You are the one they call Atheos, correct?" It had been a while since he had been called that name, but he nodded in affirmation, as it continued to speak. "You seem relatively calm for someone who has just entered this place before their time. Are you truly satisfied with your fate?"

"No," responded Atheos, keeping his eyes locked on Arceus's, "but my Guardian always told me that worry never improves bad situations." This statement made the Alpha Pokemon add a hint of confusion to his demeanor.

"Your Guardian?"

"The person who took care of me during my childhood. But you probably already know that, being all knowing and stuff," said Atheos, somewhat cynically.

"Many people's and Pokemon's lives I see, this is true. But yours is different. It is shrouded in a veil of…" the canine searched its verbal repertoire for a word that could explain its point accurately, but after a couple of seconds it settled for a decent word and continued. "Darkness, of sorts. To me, your entire life is a mystery. Yet it seems your life is also one of great importance, more so than most. Which brings us to a predicament. When normal souls meet me, I can tell whether their soul needs to resolve some issues back in the land of the mortals, deserves a life of glory, or, as is usually the case, needs rest. However, I have no way of judging for you."

The Lucario stayed quiet, as he presumed Arceus intended on continuing his point, but thought silently to himself _He said something about issues back in the living world. Perhaps there is still a way._ He then resumed listening. "So, as it would seem you have nothing else that requires your attention in this desolate sky, I propose you tell me your life story."

"If I do tell you, is there a chance that I can go back?" He asked, hopeful on the inside but keeping the same stern expression on the outside.

"There is a chance," said Arceus, in a matter-of-fact tone.

"And if I refuse?"

The Alpha Pokemon gave a short smile at this, but Atheos was unsure if it was for him asking or what would happen if he did say no. "Then I leave you here until you do tell me. And if you do for some reason choose not to tell me now, I feel I should inform you that in this plane of reality, time stands still. So take as long as you need, for the world you know can wait."

They both continued to stare each other down, as the Lucario thought this over. _I have no real reason not to tell him, do I? And if it means that I can get my life back, I might finally be able to get revenge on _him_. Still, why couldn't he see my life? He said something about me being surrounded by darkness…What could that mean?_ He thought about it for a second, not thinking about what could be causing the 'veil of darkness', but about what _else _could be causing it. _It's the only explanation. But how will he react if I tell him? He might not let me go back. Can't let that happen, so I guess I just won't tell him. _"Fair enough then. When do you want me to start?"

"At the beginning, please." They both took a seat on the ground, as neither felt like standing for the whole story.

"I was born somewhere in the western Sinnoh region, although the exact location I was never really told. My mother died during childbirth, and seeing as she had no close relatives, I was left alone to die in the wild."

"What of your father?" interrupted Arceus. Atheos seemed annoyed by the question, but still proceeded to answer it.

"I have no father... My mother was raped during her sleep one night."

For a short while, an awkward silence fell. "I see. How unfortunate." He solemnly said, knowing that no matter the answer, some questions had to be asked.

"Yeah. So I was just left there, out in the wild to fend for myself. And as you may suspect, newborns aren't really that good at that. After two days, I was ready to die. But luck was on my side, and I was found by the person whom I previously referred to as my Guardian. She took me with her to a cave where she lived, and treated me like I was her son. She cared for me, fed me, even taught me to use the aura after I evolved. I lived with her until I was ten years old, the normal age when a Lucario is said to come of age, and from then on, I lived back in the wild."

"Hold on. You just skipped ten years of your life," stated Arceus, intent on getting the most information on this guy's life as possible. "Anything happen in those years?"

"Nothing worth mentioning." Arceus glared heavily at him, still wanting more, but Atheos returned the glare, set on making him believe that there was, in fact, nothing more worth mentioning. When Arceus was convinced that he was telling the truth, he continued. "Now, when I returned to the wild, my life really began…"

* * *

><p>Sounds of the bustling Jubilife city could be heard even from where Atheos stood, at least two miles away. Most of the view of the city was lost beyond the treeline, but he could occasionally make out a glimpse of the Poketch company's headquarters. But that didn't matter, as he was traveling to Driftveil. Now that he was on his own and free to do what he wanted, he figured that he'd travel to the Johto region. He had heard rumors of a Mountain where both Pokemon and Humans go to train themselves, of a city that was said to rival Veilstone in size, and of a lake said to be home of the mythical red Gyarados.<p>

He thought about this plan as he walked out into a small clearing. The clearing was mostly empty, save for a couple small Pokemon that scattered at the sight of him. He dropped his satchel on the ground, which contained mostly berries, some money, and a crudely drawn map of the region; all he really needed. Wondering what time it was, he looked to the sky and saw that the sun was well past its zenith. _Lunchtime._

He reached into his bag, grabbing for a handful of berries, his usual meal. He managed to pull together a good six or seven after blindly searching the bag, but concluded that those were his last._ Gotta go out gathering soon. Bummer. _He sat on the ground, and ate his lunch slowly, in part because he wasn't quite eager to go look for berries, partially because the berries he had weren't very good, as he put off having to eat them for as long as possible.

As he ate his lunch, the relative silence around him reminded him once again that he was alone out here. _Wow, traveling can get lonely. I can't wait until I get onto the ship; that place is going to be packed with others. Maybe I can find some friends there.  
><em>

At last he got up and walked back into the surrounding forest. The forest had seemed normal for the most part, with the occasional Starly flying above head, sometimes a wild Shinx or Buneary scampering around, looking for who knows what, and in the background, he could hear Kricketots chirping. He found a few trees quickly, mostly Oran. He decided not to take too many of them, for they took up space that could be used for a more filling berry. For a while, he saw nothing that appealed to him, until he saw a large Chople tree. _Lucky find. Better stock up on these._ He walked up to the tree, and started scavenging some fallen berries from the ground.

As he was gathering these berries, he heard faint voices in the distance, although he couldn't make out words. Curious, he walked in the direction it was coming from, being careful to make as little noise as possible. _Don't let them know you're here. They could be territorial, like those ruffians from Mt. Coronet. _Finally, when he was in clear earshot of them, he decided to peek his head out of a bush and see who made the noise.

There was a badly bruised Machoke getting up from the ground. Looking down at him were a Bisharp, arms crossed, a Weaville, leaning up against a tree, and a Togekiss, sitting in a tree branch. The three all wore a smug look on their face, but the Bisharp's bore much more condescension than the other two's.

"Now **scram!** Don't come back until you can give me a challenge." The Bisharp extended an arm pointing out toward the deeper reaches of the forest, and the Machoke hastily obeyed. Atheos quickly ducked back into the bushes. _Crap! They're hostile. Please don't come this way, please don't come this way...  
><em>

* * *

><p>"Good job Sharp." The Togekiss said from above. "But can we keep moving? We've got to make it there by the end of the week, otherwise we'll have to wait a month for the next boat."<p>

"Correction: _You'll_ have to wait a month," retorted Bisharp, turning his head to look at the Weaville. "Sammy 'n' I are in no rush to get there. Even if we do miss the boat, we can just head off to Iron Island for a while." At the sound of this, the Weaville cringed, not particularly fond of having to sleep in a cave.

"You're on your own with that one Bish." She walked under the branch where the Togekiss was perched. "There is **no **way I am going to Iron Island. Me and Jet are going to be on the next boat to Kanto, with or without you."

Bisharp grumbled, but decided that they'd have to get there sooner or later. Why not sooner? He walked over to where the other two were standing, and as he passed the Weaville, Jet jumped off his branch into the air, following Bisharp. They quickly realized that it was just the two of them, and turned to see Sammy standing behind them.

"Come on already!" shouted Jet, but the Weaville continued standing still. "Sammy?"

She gave him a smile, and gestured her head toward a patch of bushes to her right. "We're not done here yet." She then turned to fully face the bushes. "You can come out now!" She yelled, making Jet and Bisharp exchange concerned looks with each other.

Nothing happened, although Jet let out a small giggle. "Told you she was goin' looney, man."

Sammy hardly seemed amused, but threw on a sarcastic grin. "Yup, I'm a regular nutcase." She then walked over to the bush and gave it a swift kick. A startled Lucario jumped out, and backed a few feet away, while Jet's and Bisharp's, and even Sammy's to an extent, faces grew surprised. She started walking towards him. "Wow! Guys, check it out. A wild Lucario in these parts."

The Lucario got a little unnerved at her walking towards him, but didn't show it. Instead, he kept a stern countenance and said, "Let's be civil here. I'm not here to fight. I don't want to have to hurt you."The Bisharp chuckled at the Lucario's hubris, and walked over next to Sammy.

"Relax, kid. If you're referring to that Machoke, _he_ challenged me. You're good." The Lucario breathed a sigh, half of relief, half of disappointment. He didn't quite think he could take on these three at once, yet part of him always was itching to fight. And somewhere in there, he felt a slight bit insulted, as the Bisharp spoke with a tone that implied he would be no match in a fight against him. The two's eyes locked.

"So whatcha doin' all the way out here?" asked Sammy, noticing the rising tension. "Your kind usually isn't seen in forests."

"Heading to the ports in Canalave. Planning on going off to Johto." His eyes never left Bisharp.

As he said this, her face lit up. "Aw yeah, another one! You should come with us."

He was shocked at this proposal, but saw no reason to turn it down. They seemed to know where they were going, and no doubt it would be safer. "Sure, why not."

The Weaville seemed excited by this, but the Bisharp passively seemed somewhat angered at this. "Come on, not another one. Especially not this one."

"You got something against me?"

"It's how we found Jet," the Weaville intervened, glancing at the Togekiss. "And he turned out to be cool."

"That was different. We're leaving without this kid. Come on, Jet, let's go." He turned around, but Sammy seemed persistent that they take him with.

"Come on, give him a chance. We _need_ a fourth if Jet's gonna succeed in his plans."

The Bisharp paused for a second, and then, without turning to look at the Lucario, said "Well enough. If you wish to travel with us, then fight me. If you can so much as land a hit on me, then you can come with us. Else, you're on your own, kid."

Sammy facepalmed, not expecting him to challenge just a random stranger. "Not what I meant, dipshit. Come on, just..."

"Atheos," The Lucario, tired of being referred to as 'kid', said. "And I gladly accept your challenge."

Sammy sighed. "Why do boys have to solve everything with fighting?"

Ignoring her comment, the two combatants walked to the side, until they had enough room. They stood about seven feet from each other, looking in each other's eyes for clues of what they were up against. All Atheos could see though was coldness. The Bisharp raised his left arm high into the air, then slashed it off to his side, to show the fight had begun. In a puzzling tone, he said, "You have until five."

Atheos cautiously started moving toward him, but to his surprise, Bisharp made no move. _Stay like that, 'n' this'll be a cinch_. Once he was a foot away, he unleashed a quick jab at his upper chest. With a surprising amount of ease, Bisharp deftly leaned back, dodging the punch. As Atheos withdrew his fist, the Bisharp returned upright and said, "One."

With that, he suddenly realized that Bisharp meant he had five chances to land his hit. _Until what? Doesn't matter_. _It won't get to that... I hope._ He launched another punch, this one lower, in between the two metal discs on Bisharp's stomach, a blow that he couldn't dodge in the same fashion. Yet with the same ease as before, he spun to the side. "Two."

He was down to three more hits. Still, his foe made no move to attack. _Maybe a combo. Use up two of your hits at once. Just make sure to save one._ He planted his left foot firm on the ground, putting the whole of his weight on it, and swept his right foot swiftly across the ground, in an attempt to trip him. As expected, his foe dodged, jumping into the air. _Perfect. Right where I want him._ He planted his right foot at the end of its arc, and followed up with a higher kick with his left foot. _Let's see you dodge while stuck in the air, tough guy._

"Four," Bisharp said, as he leaned back, and kicked his foot off of Atheos's. _How the hell did he do that so quickly? Okay. One left. Time for the aura sphere. _They landed about three yards from each other. He raised his hand, and quickly conjured up an aura sphere, then threw it directly at Bisharp. _Heh. This one **can't** miss._

As soon as Bisharp saw the attack coming at him, he ran backwards. He couldn't let it hit him. This wasn't about whether he wanted the extra traveling companion or not anymore; this was about his pride. He ran, trying to figure out how to dodge the aura sphere, when a thought hit him. _If you can't dodge it, get rid of it. But how? _He looked around, but all he saw was trees. _Meh. They'll do._ He ran behind a tree, knowing that the ball wouldn't go around, but through. As the sphere hit the tree, it started burning through the tree, but it quickly was depleted to a few scattered blue embers, dying on the tree bark.

"Five," the Bisharp said, reappearing from behind the tree. "Now it's my turn." _So I had five hits until he started trying. If I couldn't hit him when he wasn't trying... This is bad. _Bisharp started walking forward toward the Lucario, not making any haste. Atheos decided to not try to delay this encounter, and started walking forward as well. When they met in the middle, Bisharp backhanded him in the face, only giving him enough time to raise his arm to absorb some of the blow. Despite this, he was still knocked to the ground. He rose onto a knee, struggling to get up, but before he could, Bisharp delivered a powerful kick square to his stomach, knocking the wind out of him and sending him tumbling backwards.

_This is a losing fight. One more hit, and it'll be over. Think, man, think! Maybe there's something here that'll help you win..._ Lying flat on the ground, he looked for anything that could help him turn the tables. As he looked behind him, he found just the thing he was looking for. Sammy.

Their eyes met, and before he could ask for her help, she gave him a faint smile and a wink. _I hope she knows what she's doing. _He saw his foe walking forward, faster than before. He neared Atheos, still on the ground, and raised a hand in the air. "This looks like checkmate, _kid_."

He expected him to bring the hand down and stab him in he stomach or something, but he just stood there, as though frozen in place. The air around him also seemed to be tinted blue. Suddenly realizing what was happening, he jumped up, and lightly punched him in the shoulder. "Thanks Sammy for the icy wind," he said, walking over to her. He then looked back at Bisharp. "I win."

"That was a dirty trick you pulled," he, now mobile, replied walking toward them. "Why'd you help him?"

"Oh come on, no physical fighter has ever beat you. I just made it fair. Now come on. 'sgo."

He grunted, but started walking with her over to Jet. When the two reached him, Bisharp looked over his shoulder at the Lucario. "Come on. Atheos."


	3. On the Shore of Lake Verity

"So the four of us started our way through the forest." Lucario, tired of just sitting on the ground, got up and slowly paced back and forth. "Then, after about a month of walking and sailing, we made it to where Jet..."

Arceus interrupted him before he could finish. "Woah, woah, woah! Don't just skip ahead like that."

"Why not? This way I finish my story quicker," replied Atheos, not wanting to be stuck here as a narrator for any longer than necessary. "Besides, not much of importance happened in those weeks." It was a lie. Almost every day with his old cohorts had been important to him, but for Arceus to understand his life, it wasn't imperative that he recounted them.

Arceus replied with a slightly lighter tone than usual. "That wouldn't be as fun." Oddly enough, the regal tone that had once dominated his voice was waning. Be this as it may, his deep voice still dominated Atheos's attention, and with a sigh, he picked up where he left off. "Come on, its not like it matters how long we take."

Atheos grumbled, but seeing as he had no choice, he continued. "So the four of us started our way through the forest." After receiving a slight nod of approval from the Alpha Pokemon, he continued. "For the most part, the day was uneventful. We walked south of the main route that led between Jubilife and Canalave, 'cause Sammy wasn't a huge fan of swamplands. She says they're too stuffy. Anyways, while walking we didn't really make much conversation. I felt like the other three were kinda uncomfortable around me. Not because I did anything, just because, well, they didn't really know me that well. Occasionally Jet or Bisharp would whisper something to the other, but for the most part it was just, well, you know..."

"Awkward silence?"

"Yeah. One time I even tried starting up a conversation to break the silence."

"How'd that work out?"

"Not well, not well. I asked them why they were going to Johto, to which Bisharp bluntly replied, 'My reasons do not concern you. Don't make them.' Jet also replied, telling me that his reasons were a long story and that he'd tell me later, but also informed me that they were actually headed to Johto's conjoined region, Kanto. The only straight answer I got was from Sammy, who replied with a smile, 'I'm just along for the fun of it.' Jet then turned to me and asked why I was going to Johto. I told him that I didn't really have a reason. It seemed to be enough for him."

Arceus narrowed his eyes, and tilted his head ever so slightly to the left. "What were your real reasons for going? You never really told me."

Atheos jumped at the question, as it took him by surprise, and sighed. "Didn't I already tell you at the beginning of my story? You know, sightseeing: Mt. Silver, Goldenrod City, Lake of Rage. So anyways, we walked until the cover of night fell upon the forest..."

Arceus chuckled slightly, as he sensed a defensive tone in the jackal's voice. "Slow down there. You told me that you would go to those places in Johto at the beginning of of your story, but you still never gave me a reason for leaving Sinnoh."

Atheos cursed inside his head. _I can't tell him why I left, even if he is freakin' Arceus. If he found out, he would never let me go back to the living, which is all that really matters at this point. But I can't lie either. Or can I? Maybe, but if he finds out later… well I'm already dead. There can't be anything worse than that that he can do to me. _While these worried thoughts passed through Atheos's head, Arceus continued. "I mean, just cause another region has different places, you don't just up and leave."

An idea appeared in his mind; one that would not be a lie, nor tell him his true reason. While it seemed to simple to work, his lack of alternatives forced him to go with it. With great hesitation, he said, "I'll get to that later." He paused for a few moments, expecting Arceus to call him out for further explanation, but when nothing happened, the procrastinator in him jumped for joy, as he continued his story. "So anyways, we walked until the cover of night fell upon the forest…

* * *

><p>The sun was setting over the tree-filled horizon as the four decided it was time to find somewhere to spend the night. Jet had flown up above the forest's canopy to see if there were any particularly attractive spots they could settle in. The other three were leaning back against the rough bark of some nearby trees.<p>

Suddenly, a small rustle came from the foliage of one of the trees as Jet swooped down and landed on the grass. Sammy seemed preoccupied by her own thoughts as she took little notice of her comrade's descent, but Atheos and Bisharp walked over to him, the latter asking, "Did you see anywhere good or are we just going to crash here?"

Jet directed his head to the left. "There's a huge lake pretty close over that way if you guys want. Other than that the forest is pretty much the same."

As Bisharp took a moment to think about if they really wanted to bother going on a little while longer for a nice lakeside scene, it occurred to Atheos that he had been to a lake in this general location before. In fact, judging by the distance they had traveled, he was almost certain that it was Lake Verity.

"We should head to the lake," said Atheos. Bisharp glared at him as though this were not his decision, but decided not to argue. Rather, he motioned for his crew to follow. Jet, who appeared worn by the day's travel, walked behind, as did Sammy, who had now come to full awareness of the situation.

"So how far exactly did you say 'pretty close was again?" asked Sammy as she held a claw up to her face to cover a yawn.

"About five minutes, tops. In fact, I'm surprised we can't see it now." He squinted ahead, wondering if in fact he could see it by now, but as he expected, nothing stood out. As they continued on, however, a reflective lining appeared on the horizon, which, as they neared it, presented itself as the lake which they were looking for.

As they walked toward the shore, Atheos took off his satchel and let it fall to the ground. He proceeded to lean over and pull out an Oran berry, but after remembering he wasn't traveling alone anymore, he pulled out three more and called out to the others.

"Anyone want a quick snack before going to sleep?" The darkness made it difficult to discern their nods, but after getting the sense that they all accepted his offer, he tossed the three extra berries their way. Sammy caught her's on one of her sharp claws, and then scraped it off into her mouth, making a terrible screech with her claw and tooth. Jet caught his in the soft of his wing, and gently tossed it into his mouth. Bisharp effortlessly caught his in his mouth.

"Thanks!" exclaimed Sammy cheerfully. While smiling, Jet made an 'mmh' sound, although the tone didn't tell if it were a sound of agreement or just a grunt. Bisharp said nothing, but just swallowed and lay down, ready to go to sleep. Sammy and Atheos followed suit. Jet, however, seeming particularly tired, just fell down to the ground and immediately slipped into unconsciousness. An obnoxious snore escaped his mouth.

_Ugh. This is going to be a long night..._ Jet let loose another snore. _Gyah so freaking loud. _A voice came from behind him, and he tilted his head back to confirm that the deep voice was that of Bisharp.

"Don't worry kid," he whispered. "You learn to deal with it."

It occurred to him that this was the first time since they had started traveling together that Bisharp had really talked to him. It made him smile. "Thanks, but I don't think I'm ever going to learn to live with that."

"Heh. I said _deal_ with it, not live with it. Here, watch." He extended a metallic leg, until the flat of it kicked Jet, who slowly rolled over to look at Bisharp. "Psst, Jet. I think I heard something. Can you go stand watch on top of one of those trees? If you don't see anything in ten minutes, come back down."

After groggily muttering something obscene about flying types having to do all the work, he ascended to the top of trees. Bisharp turned back to Atheos and whispered, "See how it's done?"

"Isn't that kinda douchey?"

"You want him back here?"

He already knew the answer, but still paused before saying, "good night."

* * *

><p>It was dark. Everywhere. Except in the center of it all there was blue. Just a speck, but there was definitely blue. And it was getting bigger, getting closer. It not blue. It was blue and white and red and black and him. And in front of him was a mirror. But he was not in it. Instead, it was all white, despite no source of light. Except in the middle, it wasn't white. In the very middle, there was an infinitesimal dot. It was some other color. And maybe it wasn't even a color. It was just something else.<p>

Then he heard the voice. But it didn't come from him, nor did it come from the mirror, it came from above and below and around and nowhere, and it read _Your destiny is beginning_ and _now you_ _grow._ _You will rise or fall and both and find who and what you are. _

And then his Guardian appeared to him, amongst some characters from his childhood. They circled around him, although they weren't moving he was. But he didn't want to move so he stayed still and they stopped circling, leaving him eye to eye with his Guardian. He looked at her. And she looked at him. And then she said "Go."

* * *

><p><em>Plunk!<em> A noise woke the Lucario from his slumber. As he opened his eyes, he noticed it was still dark. He sat up, and looked off into the distance, still figuring out what had been a dream and what was reality. When he had sorted all that out, not wanting to get up, he opened his mind to search if there were any unfamiliar aura's around that he should be concerned of. Nearby, he felt two familiar auras, although he was unable to determine which two of his companions they were, due to the fact that they had not known them long enough to know their auras. Wondering where the third one was, he extended the reaches of his mind. Soon, he found a third aura off into the direction of the lake. Curious, he rose and started walking to it.

He could see the shadowy figure near the lake from where he had been sleeping, which had been only about 100 feet from the shore of the lake, but couldn't quite make out exactly who it was until they were within ten feet of each other. At that point, he saw that the figure was airborne. Jet.

"Who's there," he asked, turning around to see Atheos. "Oh, just you. What're you doing up?"

"I heard a noise." He noticed a small rock on Jet's left wing. "Skipping stones?"

"Mmhm. Couldn't sleep."

"Bad dreams?"

"No, it's just I'm a little stressed out. Have you ever felt things are going too fast?"

This took Lucario by surprise. He had no clue what Jet meant by this, nor did he ever really feel like this. "What makes you say that?"

Jet hesitated, still not completely comfortable sharing that much with this newcomer. But it was the dead of night, and he really needed to talk to someone. "Do you remember earlier today when you asked why we were headed to Kanto?"

"You said that you would tell me later. Why do you bring it up? Care to tell me now?"

Jet threw the rock from his wing across the lake. It bounced up three times before submerging itself in water. "I'm too tired to go into detail, but if you want I can tell you.

"Ever since I was a little Togepi, I was a slave for a criminal organization known as Team Rocket. Bunch of greedy immoral humans, the lot of them. Forced me to do a lot of stuff I'm not proud of. Put a shock anklet and RFID chip in me so I really had no choice. Early on in my youth, they even forced my evolution into a Togekiss. Not fun. After years of this, however, I had come to know this as life. I had made some friends with some of the other Pokemon who were forced to work with them. Hell, there was even this one girl...

"Anyways, one day I was given an assignment. Go with this one grunt to Sinnoh for some reason or another. Well before he could get to where he was going, he ran into these two Pokemon that were known to be particularly strong. He figured they were worth catching. So he threw me out of my ball, along with another Pokemon. A Poliwrath. Now apparently these two didn't take too kindly to trainers or even captives. The two..." he paused for a second. "stabbed the Poliwrath. Effortlessly. Without remorse. They went for me next, but I flew into the sky. One of them, a Weaville, shot a couple of Ice Shards at me. I managed to dodge most of them, but one nicked my wing and I crashed down to the ground. The other one, a Bisharp, started closing in on me, ready to do what he did to the Poliwrath to me. As he closed in on me, I shot a nasty Hyper Beam, which, enhanced by the Normal Gem, knocked him back a little bit. Then the Weaville came, baring her claws. I was too exhausted from the Hyper Beam to do anything. Almost at once she was upon me, holding up one of her claws ready to bring it down.

"But she didn't. At the moment, I didn't quite know why, but she looked away and didn't kill me. Instead, she walked over to the grunt stabbed him. As he was bleeding out, she spat on him, saying "human scum." After that, they helped get the anklet off me and the chip out of me, and, at my request, we mourned the Poliwrath. Didn't bury him though. Didn't seem right.

"After that, we started hanging out together, and became pretty close friends. After about a month, me and Bisharp decided we had to go to Kanto. I had some... unfinished business with Team Rocket, and, well, no one really knows his reason. Then, earlier today we ran into this one Lucario, and the rest, well, you know."

Lucario hesitated before speaking, still digesting what he had just heard. _So he wants to get back at Team Rocket somehow? Sammy said something about how he would need four people if he were to succeed, meaning he already has a plan. And he feels things are going too fast..._

"So, you feel things are going too fast because you aren't quite ready to do this 'unfinished business'?"

Jet turned around to face the lake. "No. Part of it's you. Not you, you, I mean, you seem kinda cool. Just, having a fourth person already. It's just, I miss just hanging out with the other two."

There wasn't really much to say at this point. He was in no position to offer advice, as he felt he hadn't exactly known him long enough. Nor could he really say 'sorry', for he did nothing wrong. Then an old cliche popped into his head that he thought would be appropriate, if not a little cheesy. "You know, my Guardian always used to tell me The sands of time flow continuously. Honor each grain.'"

Jet turned back around to face Atheos. What he had said didn't help a whole lot, but it helped some, and not much other than sleep could provide solace to him now. "Thanks." And with that, he flew silently over to the others and lay down. To the Lucario's liking, Jet didn't fall asleep immediately and start snoring, giving him enough time to go to sleep peacefully.

* * *

><p>A cold feeling on part of his arm woke him. As he rolled over to see what it was, he saw the claws of Sammy lightly tapping him on the arm. "Wake up kid. We're going."<p>

He rubbed his eyes and jumped up hurrying over to the rst of the group, who had already gone a significant distance away from the lake. "We're not going to have a quick bite to eat?"

Bisharp turned around to answer. "Not yet. We're going to hurry to Canalave, get there by noon, and then feast!"

And hurry they did. But despite the increased pace, things seemed more relaxed today. The four talked a lot about what they wanted to do for the five days they were in Canalave before the boat took off. Ideas varied from hanging out at local taverns to visiting the library to even taking a quick trip to Iron Island (although this was quickly shut down).

And right as the sun reached its zenith above their heads, Jet caught sight of the skyline, which was mostly dominated by the gym, but also included a couple other tall buildings. They walked closer, until the forest was no longer around them, and they were engulfed in the port city of Canalave.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: And now for the first authors note of the series! Sorry this chapter took a month to post. I've been a little preoccupied with school stuff. This chapter was kind of hard to write, as it was more or less character development/ point a to point b. Next chapter will be fun though. I get to introduce the main love interest for the first half of the story, they get to have some fun at the library, and they leave Sinnoh. Oh and yeah, I always forget this part... whoops.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.**


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